SOUTH BEND -- Charlie Weis slowly ambled toward midfield on his crutches, soaked in both Gatorade and redemption, knowing that the moment would pass quickly and he would be shoved back on the defensive soon enough. For a few sacred minutes in a warm rain Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium, nothing was going to steal the moment from him -- not the nitpicky statistical flaws of Notre Dame's 35-17 conquest of arch-rival Michigan, not thoughts of an upcoming knee surgery necessitated by a sideline accident, not even the aura of former coach Lou Holtz and the 1988 national championship team. This was his signature win, albeit against an unranked Michigan team still transitioning to a non-Schembechler disciple's complex offense. It was the game he was boxed into, having to not only win, but impress. It was the fourth-year head coach's defining moment. And at least for the next six days, it was the game that justified to Weis' critics and his believers that maybe this offseason coaching makeover thing was really more about substance than style.